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The real issue with poz-on-poz barebacking is the risk of picking up an STD. Having HIV can make having other STD's seem tame by comparison. Gonorrhoea and chlamydia seem pretty mild eh?

And, as you know only too well, there are other more horrible STD's such as syphilis out there. Herpes and warts are odious as well.

Now I'm not a member of the safe-sex taliban, I bareback with other pozzies meself, but it's important to be aware of this stuff. Trust me, herpes can really cramp your style. Genital warts can come with a whole range of unpleasant complications as well.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I only wish I lived in such a liberated town. Now that I don't drink, I don't know where to pick up a man/woman. I do need to find out though. I know I'm behind.

As for the STDs and sexual promiscuity, I was in the doc's office when I was 14. I don't remember what it was I had, but the doc gave me a shot that knocked me on my ass, put me on two antibiotics, I had to douche twice a day, use vaginal cream twice a day and take a sitz bath twice a day. That wasn't consensual though. But after I did become promiscuous, well, I learned to turn it into a trade and make money. So, I guess you could say I was very "ecnonomical." No, seriously, I was 17 was when I worked in the strip club here (Kitty Kat Lounge, go figure) and learned the "tricks" of the "trade" very quickly. I was in the doc's office every week after that. Don't miss those days-well, miss the action, not the reaction.

Logged

I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction reading the obituary notices.-Clarence Darrow

betty kicks major ass. well, im not as slutty as some of y'all, but i can hold my own. i just wish that last couple i had sex with was around more often. nothing like two (or more) men. hey, there might be some gals in the future if i can convince my boys to go bi! i caught gonorrhea once before. i remember going to the public health dept and using a fake aliases to get treated. i also scoped out the men in the waiting room looking for freshly sanitized ass. you feel pretty trampy after some shit like that.

...or maybe it was that time in brazil where i spent the better part of the evening on my knees in that night club : )regardless, i still have safe sex when there was butt loving going on. that risky shit didn't start till last year and it only took a handful of situations to catch the hiv. and the hpv.

to answer the question -- bareback if you must, but remember, hep c and the herpes are still out there, not to mention some other rather unconventional bugs.

but remember, hep c and the herpes are still out there, not to mention some other rather unconventional bugs.

Yeah well just whoa down there, Swing-Both-Ways Sally.

Hepatitis C is spread by blood-to-blood contact. There is some evidence about it being transmitted via particular sexual activities (fisting and blood-sports come to mind), there is no evidence that is a generalised STD.

For the large part in the developed world, HCV is transmitted through sharing contaminated injecting equipment.

Is there a risk? Yep. My partner is Hep C while I am not....is the risk small....yes....is the risk there? yes. I am gambling I agree (more times top than not lessens the odds but nontheless) I love being without barrier in him and on occasion him in I and I will make no apologies about it ow...or if the wrong diagnosis ever happens.

If your long-term goal is to accumulate a FULL HOUSE of STD's, I say go for it. I like unprotected sex as much as anybody, but now that I have AIDS, you couldn't pay me to go skin-to-skin with anybody. It's bad enough being treated for HIV -- I sure don't want to complicate my treatment with a case of the clap, hepatitis, syph, warts, cooties, or anything else. (Plus there's some danger -- however small -- of getting reinfected with a different strain of HIV, I believe.) When you've already got HIV, it seems sorta dumb to go out and try to catch everything else. It's like "here I am, come and get me". But it's a personal decision, and I hope I don't sound like your preacher.

For the record, if I were playing the field, I'd still use condoms even with other pozzies. I don't want a dose of ... whatever.

The guy I'm currently with is the guy I got my virus from in the first place. He's on meds and has not developed any resistances, so no worries about getting a different strain. (From what I understand, that's a rare occurance anyway.) He's also had a recent STI panel. I haven't, but my ex-partner did just before we split up in November and as I haven't been with anyone else since the last time I had an STI panel, well, no worries!

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Wow, you guys are not only informative, incredibly honest, but also a little caddy. I like it. Condoms are not my thing (obviously) but my frequency of sex has slowed down since that bout with syphillis in 2004. That was not fun. Off to work, but I would love to stay and play with you guys all day.